A question that comes up frequently is whether bike lanes are planned for Memorial Drive. The question comes from both cycling advocates and those who believe adding bikes lanes would increase congestion.

Here’s the quick answer: Bicycle facilities are not planned for Memorial Drive in the City of Atlanta at this time for the following reasons:

There is not enough room in the three-lane segmentsAbout 2.5 miles of Memorial Drive in the City of Atlanta currently have three travel lanes. In some locations, the total width is 30 feet from curb-to-curb. Adding bike lanes on both sides would eliminate the possibility of turn lanes. While traffic forecasts predict that Memorial Drive can handle future volume of traffic and transit with two travel lanes, it requires a center turn lane to function effectively. So what about the four-lane segments? There is enough room for bike lanes on either side if the roadway is reconfigured to three lanes. However, that would leave us with a disjointed bike lane that starts and stops multiple times along the Corridor. That space could be put to better use with future streetscapes, transit pull-outs, or on-street parking.

This map from a recent traffic study of Memorial Drive shows current lane configurations. In black are undivided four-lane segments. Orange are three-lane reversible segments.

It’s hilly with higher volumes of trafficIf you ride on Memorial Drive from Capitol Avenue in Downtown to Candler Road in East Lake, you will have to climb a total of 427 feet westbound and 455 feet eastbound, according to Strava. Some of those hills, especially in Kirkwood, are pretty steep. In combination with higher traffic volumes and driver speeds, it makes for a stressful, hard ride for most cyclists. A few serious riders will do it anyway. But we’re aiming to design for casual riders, too.

There are bike alternatives to Memorial Drive and more are comingWe see cycling as a fundamental part of our transportation system in Southeast Atlanta. We are planning and advocating for a quality network of alternative routes on both sides of Memorial Drive. Projects already planned include Woodward Avenue, the PATH Foundation’s Trolley Trail, the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, and multiple “neighborhood greenway” projects funded by the 2016 T-SPLOST tax. There are still some gaps to fill, but we’re optimistic that we’ll build momentum and demand for plugging these as more projects are built out. The map below shows planned bike facilities and some gaps where we hope to build out the network in the future.

This map depicts planned bike and pedestrian facility improvements anticipated through 2022. Please note that budgets and timelines are subject to change.

It’s a good thing that cycling advocates are pushing at every opportunity for more and better bike facilities all over the metro region. In the case of Memorial Drive, we have limited right-of-way and there’s simply not enough room to incorporate everything we want. We also have to deal with the reality of this being an urban arterial route with regional commuting traffic. For decades, that reality has dictated the current condition of Memorial Drive. We’re finally beginning to make progress in improving safety for both pedestrians and motorists. The Georgia Department of Transportation has been leading the way in integrating bike facilities on more state routes. Its own regulations now require new projects to incorporate bike facilities wherever there is space to do so safely. On Memorial, they are working closely with the Imagine Memorial stakeholders, City of Atlanta, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to make sure bike alternatives and crossings are integrated into future plans.

As a promising example, here’s a photo of the new bike signal located at the intersection of the BeltLine Eastside Trail/Bill Kennedy Way and Memorial Drive. It’s the first bike signal head on a state route in Georgia. We hope it’s a first step in creating an urban corridor that accommodates all its users safely.

This is the first bike signal located on a state route in Georgia, according to GDOT.

[The author of this post is a daily bike commuter who regularly rides on and near Memorial Drive at all times of day.]

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is planning to resurface Memorial Drive in Summer 2018. This project offers an opportunity to restripe the street to a lane configuration that is less confusing and safer for both pedestrians and motorists.

Public meetings were held in Reynoldstown on Oct. 18 and East Lake on Nov. 8 to share details of the project and collect input from local residents on the changes. Please see the previous blog post for these meetings to get an overview of the project and why it is necessary to reduce the unacceptable number of crashes on Memorial Drive.

A pair of meetings to discuss essential safety improvements to Memorial Drive are scheduled on Oct. 18 and Nov. 8.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is planning to resurface Memorial Drive in Summer 2018. This project offers an opportunity to restripe the street to a lane configuration that is less confusing and safer for both pedestrians and motorists.

All qualified parties are encouraged to review the RFP and consider making a submission. The deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, June 9, 2017. Stakeholders are also welcome to review the RFP and participate in community engagement later this summer.

UPDATE: Answers to questions submitted for the RFP are available here.

ATLANTA _ The Imagine Memorial Transportation Committee formed from the 2014 Imagine Memorial study has been working closely with Georgia Department of Transportation staff on advocating for long-term safety improvements to Memorial Drive. The death of pedestrian Barbara Crawford on March 20 and a rash of recent crashes give this work a new sense of urgency. Here is an update on projects that are being introduced in response:

1. Short-term: Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs)

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons are enhanced mid-block crosswalks activated by pedestrians that use flashing red lights to require all vehicles to stop. (See below for more details; a local example can be seen on North Avenue at Georgia Tech.) Georgia DOT’s District 7 and Traffic Safety and Operations teams are currently considering new PHBs at the following locations, in order of priority:

Kirkwood/Parkview: In the vicinity of Campbell/Eleanor/Howard Streets, near the site of the March 20 fatality. The exact location will be determined by engineering judgement based on topography, sightlines, and observations of current pedestrian and traffic patterns.

A new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon is being considering in the vicinity of Howard Street, near where Barbara Crawford was killed March 20.

East Lake: Existing crosswalk at Daniel Avenue, at the northeast corner of East Lake Park.

GDOT staff installs a temporary pedestrian counter to collect data at the crosswalk near Daniel Avenue at East Lake Park.

Cabbagetown/Grant Park: In the vicinity between Boulevard and Pearl Street, likely near Berean Avenue.

A boy crosses Memorial Drive through traffic at Berean Avenue from Cabbagetown south to Grant Park. Despite the sign, there is no painted crosswalk here. At right (not visible) is the Wilderness Works program for at-risk youth. At left (not visible) is The New School campus.

Oakland Cemetery/Grant Park: In the vicinity of the Cemetery’s pedestrian gate and the Grant Park commercial district.

Funding: GDOT’s “Quick Response” program, which allows urgent safety projects to be designed and built on an accelerated schedule of 3-4 months. The upper limit is $200,000 each. The first two projects will likely be funded in Fiscal 2017, which ends June 30.

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for developers to submit proposals for Phase II of 890 Memorial Drive, known as the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing.

This former warehouse was in the process of being renovated by a private developer when the combination of the economic downturn and damage from the 2008 tornado stalled the project. It was acquired in 2011 by Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., and work was completed on 29 condominium units and one commercial space. Twenty-eight of the units were sold as workforce housing in 2012 to families earning under $69,000.

The first phase of Lofts of Reynoldstown Crossing was a successful adaptive-reuse of a former warehouse into workforce housing. The project was a stop on the 2016 Phoenix Flies tour for Atlanta Preservation Center.

Following the successful development of Phase I, ABI is looking to begin the next phase of construction. There are several goals a developer must meet, including:

Housing with a minimum of 40% of the units meeting the affordability requirements outlined

A commitment and feasible approach towards long-term affordability exceeding 50 years with public or community control over the decision to convert affordable workforce units into unrestricted units

Pedestrian-friendly design of all street and Atlanta BeltLine corridor frontages in keeping with the BeltLine Overlay District

A project design and use of the site which activates the area through interactive Memorial Drive and/or Chester Avenue frontages